Organization and evolution of heterochromatin in malaria mosquitoes
Sharakhova, M.V.; Sharakhov, I.V.
Genetika 46(10): 1417-1420
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 0016-6758 PMID: 21250544 Document Number: 645111
The African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae was the first disease vector chosen for genome sequencing. Although its genome assembly has been facilitated by physical mapping, large gaps still pose a serious problem for accurate annotation and genome analysis. The majority of the gaps are located in regions of pericentromeric and intercalary heterochromatin. Genomic analysis has identified protein-coding genes and various classes of repetitive elements in the Anopheles heterochromatin. Molecular and cytogenetic studies have demonstrated that heterochromatin is a structurally heterogeneous and rapidly evolving part of the malaria mosquito genome.